What is the WTO?

[Blanquist]

Alan Greenspan calls it the 'bastion of free competitive trade"

So why is Cuba a member?

[TheGodlessUtopian]

World Trade Organization?

[NewLeft]

Cuba has been a member since 1995. They have used their membership to oppose the trade embargo.

[RedAtheist]

Alan Greenspan calls it the 'bastion of free competitive trade"

So why is Cuba a member?

I've just been studying the World Trade Organisation in politics class, so I should be able to answer.

The main purpose of the WTO is to enable more trade between states (that's the word we're meant to use instead of countries). One of the ways it does this is by creating rules regarding what kind of restrictions member states can place on trade with other member states.

It works something like this. If State A makes laws restricting imports from State B, State B can file a complaint against them to the WTO. If the WTO decides that State A has violated the WTO's rules regarding trade (assuming State A is a member of the WTO), the WTO will pass a ruling against State A requiring it to remove the restriction. The WTO is thus perceived as an organisation which aims to remove barriers to free trade. This would explain the Alan Greenspan quote.

I agree that Cuba probably joined the WTO because it wanted to make the US lift its trade embargo. Such an outcome is theoretically possible given the WTO's stated aim of 'trade liberalisation', unfortunately Cuba's membership of the WTO means that it would also be required to remove trade barriers on foreign imports if a nation decided to complain to the WTO about Cuba's trade policies. The WTO has also been accused of making rulings which favour wealthy nations, so I don't think Cuba is making a very good choice in joining the WTO.

Don't take my word for it though, I'm just a student. If you know more about the WTO than I do, feel free to let me know if I got anything wrong.